Retro-Kit Battery Change Schedule

Below is a list of the all the computers in the Retro-Kit collection that have batteries fitted describing the type of battery and the dates when they should be changed. It's intended as a centralised memo for the collection to track the battery changes.

Acorn computers

Early Acorn computers used a battery backed CMOS to store default configuration settings and power a real time clock to maintain the time. In the early machines, the batteries were typically non-rechargeable 'AA' types although the Acorn Master could support rechargeable batteries too. With the advent of the BBC A3000, Acorn began fitting rechargeable batteries to the motherboards of their computers which if left unchecked for long periods of time could have devastating effects on the machines.

Commodore computers

Many of the Commodore Amiga computers shipped without a real time clock circuit and don't have batteries fitted on board. All of the "big box" Amiga's do have batteries on the motherboards and they must be changed regularly to prevent significant damage to them.

The Amiga A1200 in the Retro-Kit collection does not have a real time clock circuit as standard. Instead it is provided on the Blizzard 1230 Mk IV 68030 accelerator board.